Regulating-valve.



JOHN C. KITTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REGULATING-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26,1913.

Application filed July 24, 1912. Serial No. 711,220.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN G. Krr'roN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Regulating- Valves; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in regulating valves, and relates more particularly to regulating valves of the class applicable for use in connection with refrigerating machinery in which the refrigerant is ammonia gas. Such systems comprise in the main, a fluid compressor, condenser coils subjected to a continual flow of cooling water, a receiver adapted to contain liquefied ammonia gas and a series of evaporation or refrigerating coils, which are located in a tank of brine or otherwise disposed in a space desired to be kept at a low temperature.

The ammonia gas is compressed to a high pressure by the compressor and is discharged into the condenser coils, wherein the gas is liquefied. gThe liquid flows from the condenser coils into the receiver, and thence through a regulating valve into the refrigerating coils. The pressure in said absorption coils being much less than that in the condenser coils or the receiver, the liquefied ammonia gas is vaporized upon entering said refrigerating coils. The process of refrigeration is accompanied. by the generation of latent heat of vaporization, which is drawn from the medium surrounding the coils; said medium being either brine or air, as the case may be. It is therefore the expansion of the liquefied ammonia gas that produces the low temperature desirable for refrigeration purposes. From the refrigerating coils, the gas is drawn into the compressor, which operation transforms the latent heat to sensitive heat, which is withdrawn from the gas passing through the condenser.

it is obvious from this brief description that the amount of liquefied gas entering the refrigerating coils from the receiver must necessarily control the pressure within said coils, and since the pressure determines the efliciency of said coils, it is very important that the pressure should be kept constant at any predetermined point, and also that such predetermined pressure should be capable of variation, to provide for an increase or decrease in the work to be done by the apparatus. For this purpose a regulating valve is placed in the pipe line leading from the receiver to the refrigerating coils.

The object of this invention is to provide such a regulating valve, that is automati cally and accurately governed by the pressure within said refrigerating coils, the action of which may be adjusted to increase or decrease the pressure within said coils, according to the amount of heat required to be absorbed from the medium surrounding the coils, and furthermore, to provide a construction for a. regulating valve that is absolutely free from leakage, simple as to mechanical structure, and low in cost of maintenance and repairs.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of the regulating valve, taken through the center of the cylinder and the pressure chamber; Fig. 2 is a. cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line l4t of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower portion of the regulating valve similar to Fig. 1 showing the position of the links when the valve is closed.

Referring to the drawings, the regulating valve comprises two main parts, namely, a

cylinder A, and a pressure chamber B, the former containing a movable member adapted to be actuated by the pressure within the chamber B, and thelatter containing a system of levers actuated by the movement of the movable member and adapted to control a needle valve, which in turn regulates the flow of the liquefied ammonia gas from the receiver to the. refrigerating coils.

The walls surrounding the cylinder and the pressure chamber are integral, the wall 10 of the cylinder being preferably cylindrical. Said cylinder is separated from the pressure chamber by a wall 12, the wall 11 of said chamber being rectangular and so shaped that the pressure chamber extends at one side of, and beneath the lower end of, the cylinder. The separating wall 12 forms one wall of the rectangular pressure chamber B and its main face is parallel with the opposite or outer wall of the said pressure chamber. One side of the said pressure chamber is provided with a removable cover plate 13 (Fig. 2), corresponding with the shape of the chamber, and which is held in place by a plurality of bolts 14, spaced about and extending through the margin of said plate 13 and into the walls 11 and 12. A suitable gasket 13 is interposed between the bearing margins of the plate and the said walls 11 and 12. A plurality of bosses 15 are also provided upon the exterior of the wall 11 adapted to give additional metal in which the studs 14: may be anchored. Pressure is transmitted from the refrigeration coils to the interior of the chamber B by means of a pipe ll which communicates with said chamber at C.

At the top of the pressure chamber is located a valve 16 for controlling the delivery of the liquid ammonia t0 the refrigerating coils. Said valve comprises a sleeve 17 extending downwardly through the top wall of the pressure chamber and having screwthreaded engagement therewith. An annular recess 18, formed in the said top wall surrounds the valve sleeve 17 of the valve. Said annular recess is adapted. to contain suitable packing 18, which is held therein by means of an adjustable gland 19 having screw-threaded engagement with the lower portion of the valve sleeve 16. The valve body 20 lies outside of the top wall of the chamber and is provided with a vertical inlet passage 21 and a horizontal outlet passage 22 at right angles to said inlet passage. A pipe 23, leading from the receiver (not shown), is connected with the inlet passage 21. The outlet passage 22 leads to the refrigerating coils (not shown) by means of a pipe 24; connected therewith. \Vithin the valve body 20 is an enlarged space or chamber 25 into which the outlet passage opens. The inlet passage is connected with the en larged space by means of a conical passage or valve-seat 26. The movable memher or closure of the valve has the form of an endwise sliding valve stem 27, provided with a cone-shaped upper end which corresponds in taper with and seats within the valve seat 26. Said valve stem 27 extends downwardly within the chamber B, and is provided with a screw-threaded lower end 2". Surrounding the said valve stem and within an annular recess 28, formed in the interior of the valve sleeve 17, is a packing 28, held therein by means of a gland 29, which surrounds the stem 27. The pressure of the gland upon the packing is regulated by means of a cap 30, having screw-threaded engagement with the lower end of the valve sleeve 17. In engagement with the screwthreaded extremity 27 of the valve stem 27 is an adjustable sleeve 31, provided with an annular groove adapted to receive the forked extremity of the shorter arm 32 of a bell crank lever 32. Said bell crank lever 32 is pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin 33 which is inserted through lugs 34, integral with the ver ical side wall of the casing 11. The longer arm 32 of said lever 32 extends downward adjacent to the side wall of the casing. Pivotally mounted at the extremity of the said longer arm 32 is a link 35 provided with an upwardly extending finger 35, which is joined by means of a pivot pin 35 to the shorter arm 36" of a rocking lever 36, which is pivotally supported in a fixed pivot stud 37' formed in a boss 37 extending outwardly from the wall 11 of the casing. Said arm 36 is approximately of the same length as the link 35 and is arranged in angular and downwardly inclined relation to the arm 36*. The longer arm 32 of the bell crank lever 32 is provided with an inwardly projecting lug 32, between which and the extremity of the finger 35 of the link 35 extends a tension spring 35 adapted to take up any lost motion between the pivotally connected parts. The longer arm 36 of the rocking lever 36 is pivotally connected with the lower extremity of a connecting rod 38, the upper end of which is joined to a piston 39, which slides in said cylinder. The said piston 39 has attached to it a cylindric extension, having the form of a metal tube 40, which extends downwardly to a point below the lower end of the cylinder and slides in a guide apertu"e formed in or by bushing 41 secured in the lower end wall or head of said cylinder. Said piston is shown as made hollow and as provided with a neck for the attachment of the tube 10 and with a central, rigid stem 39 to the lower end of which is connected, by a pivot pin 39 the connecting rod 38; said connecting rod passing through the said tube 40. Said tube d0, shown, has screwthreaded engagementwith the piston 39, and passes through and has sliding engagement with said bushin 4C1; aid bushing being secured in the lower end well or head of said cylinder by means of screw-threads which engage similar screw-threads in the aperture in the said lower head of the cylinder. The upper end of the cylinder is open to the atmosphere. A fixed cross-bar 12 extends diametrically across the opening the end of the cylinder, the same being secured at its ends to the cylinder wall by means of screws 12. An adjusting or thumb screw d3 extends through the central portion of the cross-bar 42. At its lower end the said adjusting screw is provided with a collar ll, loosely mounted thereon. A tension spring as is interposed between said collar and the upper surface of the pisten 29, the purpose of the said spring being to exert inward or downward pressure upon the piston in opposition to the pressure exerted therein by the gas in the pressure chamber. The tension of said spring may be varied by adjustment of the screw 43, according to the pressure which it is desired to maintain in the refrigerating coils of the refrigerating apparatus.

Firmly secured at its upper end about the annular neck, formed on the lower part of the piston 29, and similarly secured at its lower end about the end of the bushing ll which projects upwardly within the cylinder, is a tube or sleeve 46 of soft or elastic rubber. Said tube l6 surrounds the metal sleeve l0 between the piston and the bushing a1, and is adapted to prevent the leakage of gas from the interior of the chamber l3 into the part of the cylinder below or inside of the piston. A shorter sleeve or tube 47, likewise made of soft or elastic rubber, is secured to the lower end of the bushing 41 and to the lower end of the metal tube 40. The purpose of the said sleeve 4:7 is also to prevent the leakage of gas from the chamber B into the cylinder, between the contact surfaces of the said bushing ll and the metal tube l0. The elastic properties of the said tubes 46 and i7 allow the latter to adjust themselves to the longitudinal movement of the piston and its associated tube 40. By reason of the location of the tube 457, it may be considered the more essential one for the prevention of leakage, the tube 46 acting as an additional safe 'uard in case any gas should leak through the joints between the lower sleeve and the parts to which it is attached. The threads of. the bushing 41 are preferably coated with cement or the like, when the said bushing is inserted into the lower cylinder head, in or der to provide a joint that will be safe against leakage.

Having stated the structure of the device, its operation will now be described: Let it he assumed that the pressure upon the liquid ammonia entering the needle valve is 150 lbs. per square inch, and that it is desired to reduce the pressure to 15 lbs. per square inch in the refrigerating coils, and to maintain constant pressure therein. Since the interior of the chamber B communicates with the refrigerating coils, the pressure within the same will be transmitted to said chamber and will also act upon the piston. The piston is previously regulated by adjusting the tension of the spring 4-5, by means of the thumb screw 43, according to the pressure desired to be maintained in the refrigerating coils, so, that the pressures on opposite sides of the piston will be co-unterbalanccd. (lbi'iously, therefore, any increase in pressure within the refrigerating coils, due to the admission of a larger amount of the liquid ammonia into the coils, will be transmitted to the piston, which will be moved in a direction to close the needle valve an amount necessary to decrease the flow of the liquid into the refrigerating coils and hence the pressure will be reduced to its normal amount. Likewise in the case of a falling of the pressure below the normal, the piston will be moved in the opposite direction necessary to open the needle valve, thus increasing the flow of the liquid into the refrigerating coils and alter-ding an attendant increase of pressure up to the normal. .lhe lever and link connections, which are particularly designed to reduce a long travel of the piston to the comparatively short travel of the valve stem 27, transmit the motion from the former to the latter in the following manner: Assume that in Fig. l the several moving elements are positioned so that the needle valve is opened suflieicntly to admit an amount of liquid ammonia, which, when expanded to its gaseous state, will be under the normal pressure of 15 lbs. per square inch. Under these conditions the piston will remain sta tionary. New, supposing the pressure upon the liquid is increased, and that a larger quantity of the liquid is entering the refrigerating coils and expanding with a resultant increase in pressure, this increase is sullicient to overcome the resistance of the spring 45 and the piston will be forced upward until the pressures upon both sides of the piston are again. equalized. The up ward movement of the piston swings the bell crank lever 36 about its pivot so that the long arm 36" moves upward and the shorter arm 86 downward. The toggle ac tion between the said shorter arm 36 and the link 35 during the downward movement of the former eau'ies the longer arm 3"" of the bell. crank lever 36 in a direction away from the adjacent wall of the casing (F 5) which movement rotates the said bell crank lever about the pin thus transmitting an upward movement to the valve stem 27 through the shorter arm 32 of the bell crank lever 32, and closes the valve sufliciently to reduce the How of the liquid into the refrigerating coils and hence the pressure therein. In case the pressin'e within the coils falls below the normal, the movement of the piston will be downward and there sultant movement of the lovers and links will be reversed, thus opening the needle valve, with the obvious result of increasing the pressure to the normal.

By changing the tension of the spring 45,

the pressure maintained in the refrigerating coils may be increased or decreased, as required for the proper operation of the apparatus under variations in the temperature of the outer air, or to increase or decrease the temperature of the medium surrounding the said refrigerating coils.

An importantfeature of this device is a movable piston associated with one or more elastic tubes to prevent leakage. This feature attords a distinct advantage over the usual type of regulating valve in which a metal diaphragm is e1 iployed, for the reason that the metal diaphragm is liable to fatigue or deterioration, due to the constantly changing stresses upon the same, which render a regulating valve of the diaphragm type inaccurate and subject to constant attention and regulation.

1 do not desire to confine the use of this device to that described above, for it may be applicable to a fluid system in which the pressure in any part is to be automatically controlled by the pressure in the same or another part of the s jstem.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A pressure regulating apparatus, comp'rising'a pressure chamber, a cylinder connected therewith, a piston in said cylinder subject to the pressure within said chamber, a spring applied to act on said piston in opposition to the pressure within the said chamber, a tube of elastic material connected at one end with said piston and at its other end with said cylinder, a valve having a fluid passage separate from said chamber and provided with an endwise sliding valve stem which projects into said chamber, and operative connections between said piston and said valve stem embracing a connecting rod pivoted to the piston and extending through said tube of elastic material.

2. A pressure regulating device compris ing a cylinder provided at one end with a concentric guide aperture, a piston in said cylinder provided with a cylindric extension, said extension consisting of a metal tube rigidly attached to the piston and having sliding engagement with the guide aperture in said cylinder, a regulating valve, and operative connections between said piston and said valve embracing a connecting rod pivoted to the piston and extending through said tube.

3. A pressure regulating device comprising a chamber, a cylinder communicating with said chamber, a piston in said cylinder subject to the pressure within the cylinder, a metal tube rigidly secured at one end to the piston and slidably mounted in the aperture between the chamber and the cylinder, an elastic tube surrounding and secured at one end to the extremity of the said metal tube and secured to the exterior of the cylinder around said aperture, at its other end.

l. A pressure regulatingdevice comprising a cylinder provided at one end with a concentric guide aperture, a piston in said chamber provided with a oylindric extenslon having sliding engagement with said gulde aperture, and a tube of elastic material surrounding said extension exterior to the cylinder, one end of said elastictube beingattachedto the cylinder and "its other end being-attached to and moving with the said cylindric extension.

5. A pressure regulating ClGVlCQCOIIlPllS- ing a cylinder provided at oneend with a COIlCGIltIlC guide aperture, a plston in said cylinder provided with a-cylindric extension which has shdmg engagement with said guide aperture, a tube of elastic material surrounding said extension beyond the end '01? the cylinder and attached at one end to said extension and at its other end to the wall of the cylinder, and a second tube of elastic material surrounding said extension of the piston within the cylinder and connected atone'end with the piston and at tends into said pressure chamber, a bell crank lever, one arm of which is connected with said valve stem, a rocking lever, one armof which is connected with the piston and a link connecting the other arm of said rocking l'ever with the longer arm of the bellcrank lever, and a spring applied be tween the link and the adjacent arm of said lever to take up lost motion between said levers and'link.

7. The combination of a pressure chamber, a cylinder connected therewith, a piston sliding in said cylinder, said piston being subject to the pressure within the chamber, a valve mounted on said chamber and provided with a valve stem that extends into said pressure chamber, a bell crank lever, one arm of which is connected with said valve stem, a rocking lever, one arm of which is connected with the piston, a link connecting the other arm of said rocking lever with the bell crank lever, said link being provided with a rigid finger, and a spring connecting said finger with the bell crank lever, adapted to take up lost mot-ion between the parts.

8. The combination of a pressure chamber, a cylinder connected therewith, a piston sliding in said cylinder, said piston being subject to the pressure within the chamber,

a valve mounted on said chamber at one side of said. cylinder provided with a valve stem arranged. parallel with the axis of the cylinder and extending into said pres sure chamber, a bell crank lever mounted in said pressure chamber having a longer and a shorter arm, said shorter arm extending transversely to and being connected with said valve stem, and the longer arm of the said bell crank lever extending generally parallel with the central axis of the cylinder, a rocking lever, the arms of which are at an angle to each. other, a link connecting one arm of said rocking lever with the longer arm of the bell crank lever, and a connecting rod pivotally connected at its ends with the other arm of said rocking lover and with the piston.

9. The combination of a pressure chamber, a cylinder connected therewith and. pro

vided with a guide aperture at one end, a piston sliding in said cylinder, provided with a rigidly attached metal tube passing through said guide aperture, a valve mounted on the pressure chambe' and provided with a valve stem which projects into the said pressure chamber, and means located within said pressure chamber for transmitting motion from the said piston to said valve stem, embracing a connecting rod located within said metal tube.

10. The combination of a pressure chainher, a cylinder connected therewith and provided with a guide aperture at one end. a piston sliding in said cylinder, provided with a rigidly attached metal tube passing through said ride aperture, a spring ap plied to act on said piston, a valve mounted on the pressure chambeand provided with a sliding valve stem which projects into the said pressure chamber, and means located within said pressure chamber for transmitting motion from the said piston to said valve stem, embracing a short piston rod projecting from the piston into said metal tube, and a connecting rod pivoted to said piston rod and extending through said tube.

11.. The combination with a pressure chamber, of a cylinder attached to said chamber, open at its outer end to the atmosphere, and provided at its inner end with a concentric guide aperture, a piston in said cylinder, said piston being hollow and provided, on its side which is subject to the pressure of the fluid within the pres sure chamber, with a cylindrie neck, a metal tube attached to said neck on the piston and having sliding engagement with the said guide aperture, a piston rod rigidly attached to said piston and extending i11- wardly beyond said neck, a connecting rod pivotally joined to said piston rod and extending through said tube, a valve mounted on the pressure chamber and provided with a stem which extends into said. pressure chamber, and means located within said pressure chamber adapted to transmit the mot ion from said connecting rod to the said valve stem.

19. The combination with a pressure chamber, of a cylinder having an end wall. separating the cylinder from the chamber and provided with an opening, a cylindric bushing secured in said opening concentrically with the cylinder and extending into said cylinder, a piston within said cylinder provided with a cylindric metal extension, which tits and slides in said bushing, and a shoulder of a greater diameter than said extension and of a less diameter than the cylinder, an elastic tube surrounding the said extension and shoulder and secured at one end to said shoulder and at the other end to the portion of said bushing within the cylinder, a valve mounted upon said pressure chamber and provided with a valve stem extending into said pressure chamber, and means within said pressure chamber adapted to transmit the movement of said piston to said valve stem.

13. The combination with a pressure chamber, of a cylinder having an end wall separating the cylinder from the chamber and provided with an opening, a cylindric bushing rigidly secured in said opening concentrically with the cylinder and extending into said pressure chamber, a piston within said cylinder, provided with a cylindric metal extension which tits and slides in said bushing and extends beyond the same into said chamber, an elastic tube surrounding said extension exterior to the cylinder, one end of said tube fitting over and secured to the portion or" the bushing within the pressure chamber, and the other end being tached to the said extension, a valve mounted upon said pressure chamber and provided with a valve stem extending into said pressure chamber, and means within said pressure chamber adapted to transmit the move ment of said piston to the said valve stem.

14. The combination with a pressure chamber, of a cylinder having an end wall separating the cylinder from the chamber and provided with an opening, a cylindric bushing rigidly secured in said opening concentrically with the cylinder and extending atits ends into said cylinder and said chamber, a piston within said cylinder provided with a cylindric metal extension which fits and slides in said bushing and extends beyond the same into the chamber, an elastic tube surrounding said extension. and secured to said piston and the adjacent end of the said bushing, a second elastic sleeve, surrounding the extremity of the said extension Within the pressure chamber, and secured to said extension and to the adjacent end of the said bushing a valve mounted asmy invention I aflix my signature in the upon said pressure chamber, and provided presence of tWo Witnesses, this 19th day of with a valve stem extending into said pres- July, A. D. 1912.

sure chamber, and means Within said pres- JOHN C. KITTON.

' sure chamber adapted to transmit the move- Witnesses:

ment of said piston to said valve stem. CHARLES H. POOLE; In testimony, that I, claim the foregoing EUGENE C. WAUN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

